


Memento Mori

by AXEe



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Astra (Supergirl TV 2015) Lives, Established Relationship, F/F, Gen, Post-Season/Series 01
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-05
Updated: 2020-09-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:08:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26293918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AXEe/pseuds/AXEe
Summary: Memento mori: death remembered...
Relationships: Astra & J'onn J'onzz | Hank Henshaw, Astra/Alex Danvers, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 12





	Memento Mori

**Author's Note:**

> Moody GD stuff. Enjoy? :=)

******

The large stone glinted under the harsh lab lights. Superficially, it resembled a massive, uncut gemstone or perhaps a massive piece of raw volcanic glass, like obsidian, but it was green not black, and translucent like household glass; the light shining through it, albeit muted.

Another aspect that set the object apart from an ordinary gemstone or piece of volcanic glass was its size and shape. Resembling a half-dome or sphere, the object was similar in size to a bowling ball, perhaps a bit smaller and was smooth on its flat size, like a geode which had been broken open. But aside from its unusual shape and size, the object looked to be home at any museum or other scientific exhibit, contained as it was in a cylindrical glass case.

At the bottom of said glass case was a sign of sorts, more of a warning in truth. Written in bold yellow and black letters it proclaimed:

**CLASS-A RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS  
CAUTION: HANDLE WITH EXTREME CARE**

Below those ominous words were more mundane ones:

**ITEM 459-42-B  
Recovered from Mexico on 02-14-97**

Rounding the corner, Alex paused as she came across a strange sight (not so strange for the DEO, however) namely, Astra sitting on a low stool before the original kryptonite meteorite that the Hank Henshaw had dug out of the ground in Mexico back in 1997 and had later overseen the synthetization of into the radioactive ammunition used by the DEO against Astra and her troops before Astra’s defection and Non’s subsequent imprisonment and the collapse of Fort Rozz as a unified threat.

Slowing, Alex stood in the doorway to the vault and studied Astra as she seemingly studied the meteorite. It was odd, Alex thought, there was no real need to keep the thing anymore now that they knew the molecular and chemical makeup of kryptonite, and she had always assumed that J’onn had kept it around to keep up the pretense of his being Hank Henshaw, but now, watching Astra she wondered if it wasn’t due to something more.

“Alex, stop staring” Astra suddenly called without taking her eyes off the meteorite.

“I guess there’s nothing wrong with your hearing,” Alex chuckled as she stepped inside the vault, pulling another stool over and settling down onto it “what are you doing?” she wondered.

“Thinking” Astra answered softly, never taking her eyes off the meteorite.

“About what?” Alex prompted.

“The irony of the universe,” Astra answered slowly. Reaching out, she gently rested her hand against the lead-lined glass “it’s so… _innocuous_ , this…thing,” she began slowly “a pretty bauble at first glance,” she shrugged “aside from its obvious size no different from any other stone found on Earth, and yet…it’s so…deadly. A tiny speck, a fleck no smaller than a grain of sand, could—in time—bring me to a long and agonizing death,” her other hand reached up to her neck, resting on the spot where General Lane had injected her with liquid kryptonite a year and a half ago.

“It’s more than that, though,” she continued, lowering both hands to rest them in her lap “it’s…,” she trailed off, shaking her head “it’s a piece of my _home_ ” she breathed.

Alex sat back, shocked. She had never really thought of it like that before, her scientifically-oriented mind had compartmentalized it; a meteorite, a space rock, but it was also just so _incredible_ to think about. An entire planet, an entire society, a culture, a people, all reduced to radioactive dust in a single instant.

The idea of a dead planet wasn’t too hard to think about, though still incredible, but an entire planet blown to smithereens? Ground to dust? That was so incredulous, outlandish, ludicrous; so impossible as to be the kind of tall tale that should rightly be told over a pint of beer and embellished to the point of utter and total disbelief on the part of the listeners.

And now, she suddenly understood why J’onn had kept the meteorite. It was a memento, a memorial to all those countless dead on both Krypton and Mars, a silent testimony to all that J’onn and Astra had lost and a silent promise that they would do all that they could to ensure that they would never again lose those close to them.

At a loss for words, all Alex could do was reach out and pull Astra close, combing her fingers through long dark hair and placing a gentle kiss to the crown of Astra’s head, murmuring softly in what little Kryptonese she knew, whispering reassurances that she would never leave her side.

Sniffling, Astra absently wiped at her eyes, grabbing onto one of Alex’s hands and tangling their fingers together.

 **[** _I love you_ **]** she whispered in Kryptonese against Alex’s shirt

"And I love you" Alex replied softly, pulling Astra close and vowing to never let her go…

**END**

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you thought :=)


End file.
